Manomet's Cailee Blackington wins Miss American Junior Teen crown

Thursday

After two years as a runner-up, Cailee Blackington is the 2019 Miss American Junior Teen.

PLYMOUTH – Manomet has new pageant royalty and she’s beautiful, talented and smart.

After two years as a runner-up, Cailee Blackington is the 2019 Miss American Junior Teen.

The Plymouth North High School student captured the crowed during the Miss American Coed pageant at Walt Disney World over the Thanksgiving holiday. Blackington, a junior at Plymouth North, will reign through next November’s pageant.

She outshined more than 30 other girls from around the country in the junior teen pageant, with strong showings in all phases of the competition. In addition to winning the overall crown, Blackington was first runner up in the model competition, second runner up in actress, third runner up in speech and fourth runner up in talent. She also placed in the top 5 in academics and volunteer work.

“It feels insane. To work for something for eight years and finally be able to achieve it is so surreal. I still can’t believe it,” Blackington, who has been competing in Miss American Coed pageants since she was in elementary school, said after returning to Plymouth last week.

Blackington credited her responses during the interview segment of the contest for making the difference.

“I honestly think it was the interview. I felt it was the strongest I’ve ever had,” she said, explaining that the panel format allowed her to sprinkle in some humor and get the judges laughing.

Her hometown played into the scenario.

When the judges asked her where she’d take them on a tour of her hometown, Blackington had several historic landmarks from which to choose, but settled on Plymouth Rock with a bit of a warning. “It’s a rock, just a rock, but it has really cool historical meaning,” she told the judges.

Technical problems prevented friends back home from watching a live stream of the event, but word of Blackington’s win quickly spread on social media.

“As soon as I won I was swarmed with love from friends and family,” Blackington said. “My phone was blowing up. It was so much to take in, but I was so grateful for all the support. Without it, I’m not sure I’d have the title,”

The competition was a family affair for the Blackingtons as Cailee’s little sister, Lila, participated in the national pageant as well as the reigning Miss Northern States PreTeen.

A sixth grader at Plymouth Community Intermediate School, Lila did not place in the overall national preteen pageant, but was a Top 5 finisher in the volunteer competition for her work organizing an annual toy drive for patients at Tufts Medical Center’s Floating Hospital for Children.

By the time she was 3, Lila had already spent half her life at the hospital being treated for spinal bifida and now walks with the help of braces. She will not learn where she placed in the Top 5 until the judges' comments are released early next year. By then, she will already be working on her next toy drive.

Cailee said the pageant at Disney’s Hilton Lake Buena Vista resort was hectic, but magical, with days of rehearsal and competition sandwiched between tours of the amusement park attractions. Traveling in groups wearing their state and regional Miss American sashes, the girls enjoyed some memorable moments in the parks.

The girls' brother, Adam, helped out in Orlando, ferrying his sisters to and from their multiple rehearsals and appearances so mom, Sarah, was able to attend each competition.

Both girls said they will consider competing again in future pageants. But for Cailee, the months to come will also be filled with the chance to enjoy the prize that has come with years of hard work.

“After this I do plan to continue, but for right now I’d like to soak it up. Competing eight years takes time. Now I’ll be able to go to state competition and get to go to the Miss American pageant as a national queen,” she said.